Good question. Lots of people who make it to the gym find themselves unsure of how many reps, exercises, and weights to use. Let's talk about REPS here.
REPS are short for 'repetition'. If you do a Bicep Curl 10 times, you just did 10 'reps'.
So how many reps should you do? Let's answer that question 4 ways:
1. If you are a beginner, pick a weight that allows you to comfortably do 20 reps.
2. For a high caloric burn workout, 15 or more reps is suggested.
3. For muscle toning (hypertrophy) and general fitness, perform 8-12 reps.
4. Strictly looking for strength? You just need 1-6 reps. Be careful and always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

Next Week's Tip:
How many sets should I be doing in the gym??
Check back next week!



Last Week's Tip:

When should I workout? Morning or Night? Which time is better? The answer is simple: whenever you can fit it into your schedule. If you have plenty of free time on your hands, try different times of the day... Some people feel better after a workout in the morning, some feel they are their strongest at midday, and others prefer to workout at night to de-stress. The choice is up to you!

Previous Tips

Everyone wants six pack abs. Doing a lot of crunches or even doing the best ab exercise is not going to get you six pack abs. Great abs come from a low body fat percentage. Usually 10% body fat for men and 14% for women. So, for six pack abs, stick to a safe, healthy and lean diet. For some great video ab exercises, sign up here at iBodyFit.com!


Water keeps us healthy by keeping us hydrated. The latest advice is to drink half of your body weight in ounces. In other words, if you are 150lbs, you'll need to drink 75 ounces of water per day. If you exercise often, you may need more.


The best workout is the one that is BEST for YOU. Different workouts yield different results, so it's important to design your workout around your specific goals. For general fitness and health, a weight training program two times per week, along with a stretching and cardio program five times per week, is the best workout.


BMI, or Body Mass Index, is one way to measure your body composition to see if you are in shape. It is a popular equation based on your height and weight. Click here to measure your BMI at iBodyFit.com


You are going to want to do this. You may not think so, but you will. You can stretch almost everyday of the week.
Stretching relieves stress, tension, helps detoxify your body and relaxes your mind. It can be beneficial to stretch before you begin your workout. After your workout, stretch the muscles you just used or try a full body stretch routine. Please see our stretching videos for some examples.


The reason most of us are overweight is simply because we consume more calories than our body's burn. Basically, we EAT TOO MUCH!! To lose a pound per week, try cutting back about 500 calories per day.
When you know the amount of calories that you eat on a daily basis, it makes changing your weight much easier! Check out iBodyFit's Calorie Calculator.


According to the American College of Sports Medicine, for strong bones and muscles, we should strength train a minimum of two days per week, for at least 30 minutes each session. Remember, if you are a beginner, start slow and gradually add more training to your program.


Good question. When you know the amount of calories that you eat on a daily basis, it makes changing your weight much easier! Check out iBodyFit's Calorie Calculator.


Physical activity — whether it's a relaxing walk, bicycle racing or meditative tai chi — helps relieve stress. Read the full Mayo Clinic article here.
iBodyFit.com can design an easy, custom weight training de-stressing program for you!


Looking to lose weight? Jump on the treadmill, right? Maybe not.
Let's say you need to lose 10 lbs, and you walk on the treadmill for one hour a day...it would take you over 175 days to lose that 10 lbs!
You can lose that same 10 lbs in just 35 days by: skiping 250 calories from your diet per day and jumping rope for 20 mins per day.